Protective cover



May 7, 1963 N. D. comvusso PROTECTIVE COVER Filed Dec. 23, 1959 NICHOLASD. COMMISSO INVENTOR.

BY M

United States Patent 3,088,244 PROTECTIVE COVER Nicholas D. Commisso,Victor, N.Y., assignor to National Distillers and Chemical Corporation,a corporation of Virginia Filed Dec. 23, 1959, Ser. No. 861,665 3Claims. (Cl. 47-29) The present invention relates to an article ofmanufacture adapted to provide weatherproof housing or cover formiscellaneous materials and objects requiring shelter or protection fromclimatic conditions. This article of manufacture is particularly adaptedto provide a continuous protective cover for row plants, includingvegetables, flowers, shrubs, tree seedlings, and the like. It may alsobe employed as on site housing for building materials, or to shelterautomobiles, and machine equipment.

Covers of the general type contemplated are well known in the art andextensively used to aid in the propagation of young leafy plants fromheavy rains, frost and other unfavorable Weather and growing conditions,while also serving to reduce evaporative loss of moisture from the earthabout the plants. In the past, however, such protective coverings havebeen formed of single thickness sheetslaid over, or applied to rigid orsemi-rigid frame supports as by means of adhesive tapes, etc. Theapplication of such sheeted materials to the framing structures, in thefield has involved many undesirable problems of attachment etc. Theincorporation of rigid or semi-rigid supports in a sheet as supplied foruse, has. resulted in awkward packaging and handling problems. Accordingto the present invention, the sheeted cover material may be supplied ineasily handled packaged rolls, which are adapted for application to forma continuous cover for rows of any desired length, and wherein separatecover supports are easily applied to the field without specialadhesives, tapes, or other fastening means.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheeted coverwhich may be manufactured at low cost on a substantially continuousproduction line basis. It is another object of the invention to providea sheeted cover material adapted for simple and rapid application in thefield. A particular object of the invention is to provide a covermaterial and support means, especially adapted for use to protect rowsof plants in the field.

The invention and its objects may be more fully understood andappreciated from the following description when it is read withreference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a section of a sheeted cover stripcontemplated, with a part broken away to show its nature.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a single framing member employed toshape and support the cover sheet;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cover sheet in use.

FIG. 4 is a modified form of the cover sheet contemplated according toFIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a particular featureof the article of manufacture according to the present invention.Whereas the generally known cover sheet is formed of a single thicknessof the cover material, in the article illustrated by FIG. 1, the coversheet is a flattened tubular form having opposed inner surface portions-1 and 2, and outwardly faced outer surface portions 3 and 4. As shown,the section in plan view has been drawn from a rolled length of thematerial, the roll being designated by the numeral 5.

The tubular sheet is preferably a translucent or transparent plasticmaterial, such as polyethylene, formed by extrusion under pressure andheat from a circular die to form a tube. The tube is passed throughpressured nip rolls whereby to flatten the tube to form a double walledsheet, wherein the wall surfaces 1 and 2 are opposed, and the wallsurfaces 3 and 4 form the obverse and reverse sheet surfaces. The sheet,as formed, either may be passed directly to a heated pressure sealingdevice, or may be rolled and stored for subsequent processing to producethe final article of manufacture, which is the cover sheet contemplated.Ordinarily the plastic material will be extruded to a gauge thickness offrom about .001 to about .004 inch, although heavier gauge materials maybe employed, according to service requirements.

In the final article, the opposed wall surfaces 1 and 2 of flattenedtube, as passed through the heat sealing means,

are subjected to heat and pressure to fuse these surfaces along a pairof immediately adjoining spaced fusion lines transversely of the sheet.These fusion lines are indicated in FIG. 1 by the numerals 7 and 8. Thelines 7 and 8 are in substantially parallel relation, and are spaced atany desired distance required to accommodate a frame support member suchas designated by the numeral 9 in FIG. 2. Also, each pair of fusionlines 7 and 8 is spaced from a next adjoining pair by a distancelongitudinally of the web or sheet as necessary to avoid undue saggingof the cover between frame support members when mounted over a row ofplants. With thinner gauge materials, the spacing may be greater thanwith heavier gauge materials. In the normal range'of gauge thicknessesset forth above the pairs of fusion lines may be spaced from about 16inches to about 36 inches, and good results will be obtained.

Each pair of fusion lines 7 and 8 forms an enclosed pocket between thewalls of the flattened tubular sheet. Access to this pocket, generallyindicated in the form illustrated by FIG. 1 by the numeral 10, isprovided by means of slotted portions 11 and 12, cut through one or bothwalls of the tubular sheet between the fusion lines, and insubstantially parallel relation to the longitudinal edge portions of thesheet.

FIG. 3 illustrates the use of the cover sheet described above andillustrated by FIG. 1. In use, the sheet may be unrolled by securing thefree end of the rolled material atone end of a row of plants to becovered, and then unrolling the sheet as the roll is carried along therow. If the plants are sturdy, the whole row may be covered with thesheet material. Then support members 9 as shown are inserted in thepockets 10 and manipulated so as to form a wicket frame adapted tosupport the cover material over the plants in the row, with the ends ofthe wicket frame members forced into the earth at each side of the row.

Preferably the support members are made from cut lengths of a malleablemetal rod which is relatively easy to shape by hand pressure. Eachlength of the rod metal is cut to a longitudinal dimension substantiallygreater than the width of the cover sheet. It is contemplated that theframe member should have a length at least six inches greater than thewidth of the cover material, and preferably from eight to twelve inchesgreater, whereby to provide for substantial extension of the framemember be yond each edge of the cover material in order to anchor theframes securely in the earth on each side of the plant row.

Where easily bruised or damaged plants are to be covered, the operationshould be performed by two persons. While one slowly unrolls the covermaterial, the other inserts, shapes, and erects the framing rods 9.

As an alternative to the malleable metal rods, adapted to be shaped, aserected, a non-malleable metal rod mate rial may be preformed to anydesired shape, providing the shaped wicket-like supports contemplated.By reason of the flexible nature of the preferred plastic material of 3the cover sheet, a preshaped wicket support member may be inserted andthreaded through the pockets'10 with relative ease. In addition, wherethe cover material gauge is of sufiicient thickness to resist thestrain, materials such as spring steel, rattan and other flexible andtensionable materials may be employed for the framing members 9.

Where it may be desirable to provide end closures for the cover formedin the manner described above, the sheet is cut initially along theinner fusion line 7, and the first wicket support inserted in the nextadjoining full pocket. This provides a flap beyond the support which maybe turned down over the end of the enclosure formed. Likewise, a similarflap may be formed at the other terminal end of the row, whereby thecover formed is closed at each end.

In addition, by reason of the rigidity of the frame supports 9, it willbe found that a closure may be formed along the longitudinal edges ofthe cover sheet merely by mounding earth along these edges after thecover is erected. However, if "a more positive edge seal is desired,this may be accomplished by spacing the slots at a greater distance fromthe longitudinal edge portions of the sheet. free side flap which willlay'upon the adjoining earth surface, and may be covered by moundedearth from the neighboring surfaces.

,In the form of the cover sheet represented by FIG. 4, the transversefusion lines 17 and 18 terminate in spaced relation to the longitudinaledge portions of the flattened tubular sheet. In each pair, the fusionline next adjoining an adjacent pair is then connected by fusing thetube surface between them. These additional fusion lines are indicatedin the drawing by the numerals 27 and 28, extending between thetransverse fusion line 17 of one pair and the line 18 of the nextadjacent pair.

By this arrangement, pockets, indicated in the drawing by the numerals30 and 31, are formed so as to extend length-wise of the sheet. Thesepockets are adapted to receive rod-like members which will extendlongitudinally of the cover when erected. These longitudinal membersserve as weights, tending to resist upward displacement of the covermaterial on the members 9, and also resist displacement thereofbymounding of earth along the longitudinal edges of the sheet whenmounted.

In order to facilitate introduction of longitudinal redlike members, theintersections of pockets 20 with pockets 30 and 31 are slotted alongintersecting lines which are respectively parallel with andperpendicular to the longitudinal edges of the sheet. These intersectingslotted portions are indicated, in FIG. 4, by the numerals 21 and 22.

Although the article of manufacture contemplated has been described inits particular adaptation as a plant cover, it should be obvious that bya mere change in dimensions of the sheeted material, and the framesupport members therefor, the erected cover may be adapted When thecover is erected, this provides a to enclose or cover any objectdesired. With adequate dimensions, heavy gauge sheet materials, andstrong, rigid support members, housing may be provided for storage ofautomobiles, building supplies, and merchandise of most any nature,

While there are above disclosed but a limited number of embodiments ofthe invention herein presented, it is possible to produce still otherembodiments Without departing from the inventive concept hereindisclosed, and it is desired therefore that only such limitations beimposed on the appended claims as are stated therein.

What is claimed is:

1. A protective cover structure comprising an elongated layered sheetwherein the longitudinal edge portions of said layers are united insubstantially continuous relation, a plurality of transversely extendingpockets formed between said layers and defined laterally of said sheetbetween spaced pairs of relatively narrow areas of imposed inter-layeradhesion, said pockets extending across the entire width of said sheetfrom one united edge to the other, said paired areas of adhesionextending transversely across the sheet and being disposed at intervalsspaced from pair to pair longitudinally of said sheet, an openingadjacent each extremity of each pocket and extending through at leastone layer of said sheet, and frame support means of invertedsubstantially U- shaped configuration positioned within said pockets andextending beyond the longitudinal edges of said sheet.

2. A protective cover structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidareas of imposed inter-layer adhesion extend transversely across anintermediate portion of the width of said sheet and each extremity ofeach area of inter-layer adhesion is connected to the extremity of thearea of adhesion'of the next adjacent pair by a corresponding area ofadhesion extending longitudinally of said sheet and spaced inwardly fromthe edge thereof and in substantial parallel relation thereto.

3. A protective cover structure as set'forth in claim 2 wherein acontinuous longitudinal pocket is provided beis tween the layers of saidsheet immediately adjacent each united edge thereof, the extremities ofeach transversely extending pocket opening into the adjacentlongitudinal pocket, and a rod-like member receivable Within eachlongitudinal pocket to resist upward displacement of said protectivecover when in operative erected position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A PROTECTIVE COVER STRUCTURE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED LAYERED SHEETWHEREIN THE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID LAYERS ARE UNITED INSUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS RELATION, A PLURLAITY OF TRANSVERSELY EXTENDINGPOCKETS FORMED BETWEEN SAID LAYERS AND DEFINED LATERALLY OF SAID SHEETBETWEEN SPACED PAIR OF RELATIVELY NARROW AREAS OF IMPOSED INTER-LAYERADHESION, SAID POCKETS EXTENDING ACROSS THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF SAID SHEETFROM ONE UNITED